Hartford, Windsor And Bloomfield Voting In Special Senate Election

Voters in Hartford, Windsor and Bloomfield will decide who the next state senator from the second district is at a special election scheduled for Tuesday.

Three candidates are vying to fill the seat left vacant by Eric Coleman, who resigned in January to pursue a judgeship.

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They are: six-term Democratic Rep. Doug McCrory, 7th District Hartford; Republican Michael McDonald, a former Windsor town council member; and Aaron Romano, a Bloomfield attorney who is running unaffiliated as a write-in candidate.

A special election will also be held to fill Republican Rob Kane's vacant Senate seat. Kane resigned Jan. 4 to be nominated as one of Connecticut's two chief auditors of public accounts. The state Senate is now evenly divided among Republicans and Democrats, 17-17

McCrory, the favorite in the historically Democratic district, said it would be a "natural progression" for him to take over Coleman's seat.

"I represent part of the district already. I want to expand the opportunity, to represent the remaining portion of the district, which includes Bloomfield and Windsor," he said. "I have the experience, I have the knowledge of the position, and I have great relationships in both chambers that make me a good candidate for the position."

McCrory said he's kept a close eye on Coleman — calling him his mentor— during his time as a lawmaker.

"I studied under Sen. Coleman; he's been a mentor for me for the last 12 years that I've been there," he said. "I've watched how he operated."

If elected, McCrory, 50, said he'll continue work on key issues, including education reform and the pursuit of economic opportunities for his constituents.

McDonald, 39, said he ran because many middle-class families are suffering from Democrat-led tax increases that are leading to an exodus from the state.

"My wife and I aren't thrilled with the idea of having a Skype relationship with our future grandchildren," he said. "Voters want this to stop. To continue to tax the hardworking folks of Connecticut is not working."

McDonald, who raised $11,250 from 225 donors in the towns in the district to qualify for $71,000 from the state, said he would work on finding "common-sense solutions" to making structural changes to how the state handles its budget from both the spending and revenue side.

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Romano, 44 and a former Democrat, said he pitched his progressive platform to both parties as he sought their endorsement, but they declined, prompting him to run as an unaffiliated write-in candidate.

"I represent a number of people who are disenchanted with the closed network of the Democrats and Republicans," he said. "I'm running on issues, not a party platform.

For Romano, two of those issues are proposals to spend $250 million to upgrade the XL Center in Hartford and to cut $20 million from the state's contribution to education in towns.

"If a Democrat gets [the seat] $20 million will be cut and $250 million for the XL Center is going to happen." he said.

Romano also criticized McCrory directly, wondering if the residents of the 7th District were "better off than 12 years ago."

Romano, who is in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana and allowing small businesses and farms to participate in the selling and growing of it, also took a shot at McDonald, saying that if he is elected he will vote the party line.

"I see this as an opportunity to build coalitions," he said. "Both parties are stuck with a label."